1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to metal forming, and more particularly but not exclusively to methods and apparatus for forming and texturing process shields employed in semiconductor processing equipment.
2. Description of the Background Art
Various types of process shields are employed in semiconductor processing equipment. For example, in a physical vapor deposition (PVD) system, process shields are employed to collect materials that fail to deposit on a wafer being processed.
Conventional techniques for manufacturing process shields include metal spinning and use of twin wire arc spray. Deep drawing and hydroforming are two other processes capable of making tubular type parts, such as a process shields. However, deep drawing and hydroforming are not economically feasible with low volume production due to the high cost of associated tooling. Twin wire arc spray is also not desirable because it adds to the cost of manufacturing the shield, is inconsistent as it is predominantly a manual process, and is subject to separation and particle generation due to the sheet like film that builds up during wafer processing.